As the new school year begins, it’s again time to meet some of the new building administrators who have either moved to a new location within the Cranston Public Schools or are new to the district entirely. Here are a few words of introduction and inspiration from some of the new faces. (Text and photos by Jen Cowart) 1

Hope Highlands Middle School

Hope Highlands Middle School Principal Alex Kanelos hasn’t had to change his daily commute very much. He has come to the helm of the new middle school after having been an assistant principal at Cranston High School West for the past three years.

Prior to his time at Cranston West, Kanelos was a high school teacher, the dean of students, and a head basketball coach, all in East Providence.

“Making the move to Cranston was a very good decision for me,” he said. “It’s very humbling to be chosen for this position. I am extremely excited and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Kanelos said that he has a great support system in place, both at the school, in the school community, and at the administrative level, all helping to make the new middle school what everyone hopes it will be.

“It will be a collaborative effort and everyone is anticipating this to be a very special year,” he said.

Kanelos cites his experiences at the high school level as being a key to his success as principal of Hope Highlands.

“I’ve been at the high school level for the past 15 years, and I’m looking forward to working with this group of middle school students. I have a good idea of where they need to be when they get to the high school level,” he said. “There is a lot to do behind the scenes, but at the end of every day, that’s what motivates me to do whatever we can do to help kids be successful.”

Kanelos will be joined by Assistant Principal Katrina Pillay, who previously served as principal at Chester Barrows Elementary School. 2

Orchard Farms Elementary School

Orchard Farms Elementary School has welcomed Principal Beth Basile to its community. Basile has spent the past seven years as principal of Dutemple Elementary School.

It’s the magic of learning that Basile loves most about her job each day.

“It’s all about the joy and the magic of seeing kids learning, and the opportunity to be some part of the students’ growth,” she said. “Kindergarten through fifth grade is an enormous chunk of time, a very formative six years, and realizing the possibilities of what kids have to explore about themselves is just an amazing gift.”

As Basile transitions into her new position at Orchard Farms, she credits the support she has received from the school community and the district as being the key to creating a smooth transition, and she is excited for this new beginning.

“We have a very talented staff coming together here this year,” she said. “We will combine what the kids have with the energies and talents of our staff, and see what grows from there. It’s a very refreshing, very exciting time. All across the district we are fine tuning things and looking at everything through a new lens.”

Basile will be joined at Orchard Farms by Assistant Principal Ed Myszak, who served as assistant principal at both Stadium and Arlington elementary schools last year. 3

Hugh B. Bain Middle School

Hugh B. Bain Middle School recently welcomed new Principal Jeff Taylor. He arrives with 14 years of experience in Warwick Public Schools, where he taught math at Winman Junior High School, served as a department chair at Aldridge, and spent the past six years in a school administrator role at Gorton Junior High School, serving as assistant principal for one year and as principal for five.

Taylor saw the opportunity to come to Cranston, and hasn’t looked back.

“I have very quickly been able to see how great this community is here at Bain,” he said. “It’s my first experience working in Cranston, and without a doubt, the school community is the nucleus, with the teachers, the staff, and a very welcoming community. We had an excellent turnout at our hot dog roast with parents and families in attendance and more than 40 faculty members helping out. The involvement here is unparalleled. It’s a great community, and I’m very happy to be here.”

Although Taylor is new to the district, he has jumped right in and gotten started.

“I’m assessing where we are and I know where we need to be heading, what 21st-century learners need to be, and I hope to merge those two things together,” he said. “I am trying to be supportive of Cranston initiatives that I am already familiar with from my time in Warwick, and I am hoping to help to use my experiences to get the district where it wants to be.”

Taylor cites blended learning and one-to-one technology initiatives as two of his strengths, and areas of focus in which he has already contributed to his new district.

“I feel like I can jump in, roll up my sleeves, and help out,” he said. “I want to get involved with support and guidance, to harness the good stuff that is already being done and to add in what I can, wherever I can.”

Taylor is also the president of the Middle Level Association, and as someone who has always been working at the middle school level, he is passionate about middle school and middle school students.

“We all teach seniors, just at different points in time. We need to analyze where they are, where they need to be, and see what we can do so that they can be successful, place them on the right track,” he said. “Once we have them here, they can focus on academics and we need to provide all the resources and supports here so that they can be successful.”

Taylor is joined by a new assistant principal, Brian Flinn. 4

Chester Barrows Elementary School

Principal Karyn Rosenfield is entering her 29th year in education, and she is excited to be entering it in Cranston. As a city resident and parent of two school-aged Cranston Public School students, she is invested in the future of the district.

Rosenfield has worked in Providence Public Schools for the past 26 years. Prior to that, she spent two years teaching in Arizona.

Rosenfield has extensive elementary school experience, and has worked as a classroom teacher, math specialist, acting principal and assistant principal, and special education classroom resource teacher. She also has vast experience in the areas of curriculum writing and providing professional development for school staff.

She is a certified elementary school teacher, and is also certified in the area of mild/moderate special education. She has two masters’ degrees – one in reading and one in administration.

Rosenfield has found Barrows to be a warm and welcoming community, and believes its members are truly invested in their school, their children, and their education. She is grateful for the support she has received from her new school community and the district.

“They are so welcoming and they have really helped me to navigate through the Cranston way of doing things – the protocols, the language, etc. It’s been fantastic,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of parents and staff already, and we have a great group of people who are willing and talented and looking to bring those talents to the table, to use their own expertise in their own areas to help the school.”

Rosenfield defines herself as an instructional leader and is looking forward to putting her strengths to good use.

“I am so very focused on the quality of instruction, and of meeting the needs of each individual child,” she said. “I believe in targeted instruction and solidifying their foundational skills and extending and enriching the knowledge and skills that children already have, so that they grow academically at whatever level they are starting at. I have a real focus on educating the child holistically, and incorporating those 21st-century skills of problem solving, reasoning, collaboration, and communication.”

Rosenfield strives to have students take ownership of their learning, and to have them be aware of setting their own goals.

“I want them to be happy, wanting to come to school, and to keep them safe while they are here,” she said. “I am looking forward to meeting all of our families and students when school begins.” 5

Dutemple Elementary School

Principal Kim Magnelli has had a varied career in Cranston Public Schools and has expertise at every level.

She began her career as an eighth-grade math teacher at Western Hills Middle School in 2005 and also served as the assistant principal there. She then moved to the high school level, serving as assistant principal for academic affairs from 2010 to 2013.

Magnelli spent the past three years as the principal of Orchard Farms Elementary School, and she is excited to continue her role as principal of Dutemple Elementary School.

As a parent of two students who both went through the Cranston Public Schools, Magnelli loves both the excitement and innocence that is found in students at the elementary level.

“I love every level I have been in, but I really love that innocence and excitement in the students at this level. It wakes up the child in me, and I enjoy being excited for them, to see that excitement in their faces,” she said. “I am looking forward to being part of this new community at Dutemple and to see what I can bring to it. I look forward to helping to enhance their programming, their school spirit and that community feel that belongs in every school. I hope to build the school community as much as I can.”

Magnelli plans to continue the good work that has been done by her colleagues before her, and based on what she has heard already, she has a solid foundation to start with.

“I have heard only wonderful things about the great staff here at Dutemple. I am looking forward to working with them and developing a strong professional community, and I am excited to be experiencing all that they have to offer as we work together this school year,” she said.